A chilly mid-April morning at Sterling Nature Center and its Great Blue Heron Rookery in Sterling, NY
Updated with evening photos.
Lots of American Robins on the lawn and in the trees near the main building.
The dragonfly pond has several types of waterfowl. Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, and Canada Geese.
Red-winged Blackbirds in large numbers. They make sure everyone knows you are there. Even if you are the only one there.
A short walk through the woods brings you to the Beaver wetland and the Heron rookery. Morning is the wrong time to try to photograph the rookery as it is back-lit by the rising sun.
Other denizens of the Beaver wetland include Canada geese, Tree Swallows, and Common Grackles.
White-breasted Nuthatch in the woods near the wetland.
While walking past the dragonfly pond on the way out I noticed an Eastern Bluebird...
Then she was joined by her mate...
There are Bluebird boxes everywhere, but most are occupied by Tree Swallows.
FOY Song Sparrow
There were 5 Northern Flickers near the main building and picnic shelter.
FOY Field Sparrow on the way back to the highway.
And FOY Brown-headed Cowbirds.
FOY Eastern Towhee
Update: Some photos of the rookery in the good evening light. The frogs and geese were almost deafening.